Fugitives believed to have left Arizona

The two alleged cohorts of a man who escaped from prison and was caught in Rifle now are thought to have headed east from Arizona, authorities say.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said Wednesday that Tracy Province, 42, and John McCluskey, 45, are believed to be with Casslyn Mae Welch, 44, of Mesa, Ariz. The men are considered armed and dangerous.

Authorities say Province, McCluskey and Daniel Renwick escaped from a private prison in Kingman, Ariz., Friday night. Renwick was captured early Sunday after being spotted by a Garfield County deputy sheriff and arrested by a Rifle police officer who rammed Renwick’s vehicle with his patrol car after Renwick allegedly shot at him.

Renwick, who was serving consecutive 22-year sentences for two murders, is in the Garfield County Jail on a no-bond hold for a fugitive charge, and in lieu of a $2.5 million bond for local charges including attempted first-degree murder.

Province was serving a life sentence for murder and robbery, and McCluskey was serving 15 years for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharge of a firearm.

Local law enforcement officials say no one else was in the vehicle Renwick was driving at the time of his arrest, and canine search teams found no sign of others. After his arrest, Arizona authorities said they had no information leading them to believe the other two escapees were in Colorado, and information suggested they were still in Arizona.

At one point authorities said the escapees may have been driving a Volkswagen Jetta they were thought to have bought Saturday in Phoenix. Authorities later said they no longer were seeking that vehicle in connection with the case. Department of Corrections spokesman Barrett Marson said Wednesday the three didn’t buy the car.

Marson said he had no information to release about what vehicle they may be driving. He declined to be more specific on where they might be headed. Marson said the information on their suspected direction of travel is “based on information developed by law enforcement by a variety of methods,” including tips from the public.

Media in Las Cruces, N.M., reported Province has relatives in the area, and local authorities think there’s a remote chance he could head there. Marson said he didn’t know any of the fugitives had relatives there.

Province is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, with blue eyes, blond or strawberry hair and a tattoo on his back. McCluskey is 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and tattoos on his chest and right fingers.

Anyone with information on the fugitives should call 911 or the Arizona Department of Corrections at 602-542-1212.